Ignition lock and the like



Oct. 27, 1931. LD. PERRY 1,828,747

IGNITION LOCK AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 2o. i930 Patented Oct. 27, 1931AUNITED STATES y IRA D. PERRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

IGNITION Loox AND THE LIKE Application led February 20; 1930. Serial No.429,941.

This invention has to do with improvements in ignition locks and thelike. The invention relates .particularly to improve- L ments 'inlignition locks for the ignition cir- 6 cuits of automobiles and othervehicles; but

it will 'appear that certain features of the invention are also usableto advantage in connection with locks generally. The features of theinvention are, however,peculiarly re- 10 lated to the locks used inconnection with the ignition circuits, and for this reason I haveillustrated and will describe the invention as used in this connection.ln so doing, however, I do not wish to limit the features or theusefulness of the invention except as Il may'do so in the claims.

One object of the invention is to provide an arrangement which willinsure an auto- A matic ejection or throw-out of the key when the lockis turned to the locked or oil' position'in which the ignition circuitis opened.

This will prevent the user from leaving the y key in the lock when theoperation of the motor has been stopped,-that is, at the time when thecar is supposed to be locked Another feature of the invention is toprovide a construction in which the ignition circ-uit'I is groundedwithin the 'lock at all times except when the lock has been thrown intothe unlocked position with the key eliminated or ejected. In thisconnection, it isV a further object to provide'an arrangement such thatthe act of inserting the key int-o the lock will itself automaticallyresult in the opening of the ignition current supply connection and inthe grounding of the' ignition circuit even prior to the time that thelock itself is definitely locked. yThe arrangement is likewise one inwhich the discontinuance of the grounding connection and theestablishment of the current supply throughthe ignition circuit willonly take place when the key has vbeen ejected orl withdrawn from thelock.

A further object of the invention is to provide, an arrangement suchthat the lock barrel can be pushed or moved to the locked'position evenwlthout the use of the key, thus making it possible for` the driver tolock the car, 5U with attendant opening of the current supply andgrounding of the ignition circuit, even without the use of the key.Another object of the invention is to provide a construction which canbe very readily manufactured from sheet-metal parts and parts made-byautomatic screw-machine op- Y erations andv from hard rubber or bakelitemolded pieces.

Other objects and uses of the invention will appear from a detaileddescription of the same, .which consists in the features of constructionand combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a lock embodying thefeatures of the present invention, showlng the application of the sameto the steering post or a suitable brack-v et, the lock being inthelocked position with the current supply discontinued and the ignitioncircuit grounded;

Fig. 2 shows a view similar to that of Fig. 1 with the exception that akey has been inserted into the lbarrel so as tov line up the tumblersand unlock the barrel, but the key is still in the barrel so that thesliding contact is still retained in the grounded position and thecurrent supply contact is stillinoperai tive;

Fig. 3 shows a view similar to that of Fig. 2 with the exception thatthe ejection spring has been allowed to move the contactor block andstem forward to the position where the ground connection is broken andthe supply of current is established, the key being ejected from thebarrel;

ig. 4 shows a crosssection on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 5 shows a cross section on the line` 5`5 of Fig. 3 looking in thedirection of the arrows; Y

Fig. 6 shows a side view of the barrel removed from the lock and turnedninety degrees from the position of Figs. 1, 2 and 3;

Fig. 7 shows a fragmentary perspective view of the insulating cylinderin which the movable contact carrier'travels; and

, Fig. 8 shows a fragmentary face view looking at the side of the barrelopposite to 11 being of slightly larger size than the chamber 12 andestabllshing a shoulder 13 at the point where these chambers cometogether.

The chamber 11 accommodates4 the electrical contacts, and the chamber 12accommodates the lock mechanism proper. Mounted within the chamber 11 isan insulated sleeve 14 whlch sets up against-an insulating wash-- er ordisk 15 which is set against the shoulder 13. At the back end of thechamber 11 there is another insulating disk or washer 16; and

the tube or conduit 17 is threaded into the end of the housing and solidup against the washer 16. This serves also to secure the insulatingcylinder 14 in place anddrivc the same firmly against the insulatingwasher 15.

The conduit 17 is for the accommodation of the wire 18 which leads tothe circuit breaker or other part of the ignition system to which thecurrent is to be supplied.

Slidably mounted within the insulatingr cylinder 14 is a contact carrier19. The same comprises a block of insulating material which is encircledby a collar or flange 20 of sheet metal. The edges of this ange 20 arepreferably turned down against the faces of the block 19 `so as to lockthe flange in place thereon and also rigidlyy connect the partstogether. As a matter of fact, theblock 19, together with the flange',may be molded as a unit in a single operation.

The collar 20 is electrically .connected to the wire 18, to which itsupplies current. There is.. a compression spring 21 mounted within thesleeve 14 and seated between the block 19 and the insulating disk 16.This spring normally tends to drive the block 19, which is the contactcarrier, clear up against the insulating disk or washer 15 at the other'end of the housing, although the contact carrier can he pushed back to athat shown in Fig. 2.

The electrical connection between the collar 20 and the wire 18 isestablished by the spring 21'; but in'order to prevent overheating ofsaid spring, I prefer to `also provide a pigtail 22' connecting the wire18 and the collar 20 and carrying the bulk of the current.

The insulating sleeve 14 is slotted at one side to provide alongitudinally extending slot 23. There is a spring contact finger 24reaching backwardly from'the collar 2O and working through the slot 23and riding on position beyond the metal of the bracket 9. This fingertherefore serves to establish a' ground connection for the wire 18 aslong as the finger 24 travels on the grounded metal. At the point 25lwhere the slot 23 terminates, the thickness of the insulating sleeve 14is somewhat reduced so that the finger 24 is enabled to travel up easilyon to the inside face of the insulation and thus open the groundingconnection. This is the condition which exists during the last stages oftravel of the Contact carrier 19 towards the right under the impulse ofthe spring 21.

Adjacent to the inner end of the insulating sleeve 14, said sleeve iscut away to receive a contact 26, to which current is supplied from abattery or other source through a wire 27. This contact 26l is properlylnsulated from the metal housing 10. The parts are so related that asthe contact carrierl 19- the extreme* ri ght-hand movement of the contact carrier 19, as shown in Fig. 3.

Mounted within the housing 10 and the chamber 12 thereof there is a lockbarrel 28. The same can slide in and out without rotation. For thispurpose, said barrel is slotted on one side, as shown at 29, to receivethe inner end of a pin 30 which extends through the housing and int-osaid slot. Said pin limits the outward movement of the barrel andprevents it from rotating.

There is a spiral spring 31 located between the inner end of the barrel28 and the insulating disk 15. This spring tends to throw the barrel outinto the unlocked or running position. e

In one side of the barrel and in the corresponding portion of thehousing 10 there are located a series of cooperating sockets withinwhich are placed double tumblers. `In the construction illustrated thereare four of these sockets, they same being designated 32, 33, 34 and 35.The sockets are of consecutively smaller sizes, as shown in Fig. 8. Thesockets of the barrel likewise are of graduatedsizes corresponding tothose of the housing. Each tumbler is cut into two parts, and springsare placed in the housing sockets which tend to move the tumblers intothe locking position of Fig. 1. In such position the barrel 28 isretained at its innermostv or locked position.

The barrel 28 is provided with a key slot 36 into which may be insertedthe 'key 37.

that when the key is pushed into the slot the tumblers are all lined up,`as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, with their lines of joinder lined up withthe surface of the barrel. Such being 5 the case, the barrel can beforced out under the impulse of the spring 31. Due to the graduatedsizes of the tumblers, they do not improperly interfere in theirconsecutive sockets. yWhen the barrel is again pushed in wardly (the keybeing removed) so as to close up the spring 31, the tumbler sockets willfinally line up and allow the tumblers to move into the lockingcondition shown in Fig. 1.

There is an' ejector pin 38 which has its inner end secured to thecentral portion of the contact'carrier 19. Said ejector pin isrelatively flat and can work through a holev 39 of the end insulatingdisk 15, and the ejector pin works into the key slot 36 of the barrel28. Consequently, as the contact carrier 19 travels back and forth, saidejector pin travels in the key slot. Normally, when the ig nition switchis locked with the, barrel moved into the position shown in Fig. 1, thekey being removed, the ejector pin 38 stands well out in the key slot36. The result is that, in order to' insert the key for the purpose oflining` up the tumblers and unlocking the device, the injector pin mustbe pushed away back, carrying with it'the contact carrier 19 into theposition shown in Fig.'I 2. During this interval, they ignition wire 18remains grounded through the finger 24. Furthermore, this operationresults in placing the spring 21 under a relatively heavy compression,with corresponding ejecting pressure exerted on the key itself. Theresult is that immediately the operator lets go 4u of the key, said keywill be forcibly' ejected from the lock barrel, and this ejection willnaturall take place in such a way and at such a t1me as to throw the keyinto the 0perators hand.

Furthermore, this outward movement of the contact carrier also resultsin carrying theecontact collar 20 to the position of engage# ment with,vthe contact 26 after the fingerv 24 has ridden up onto the insulation25.'

On the inner end of the lock barrel 28 there is a pair of fingers and 41(see Fig. 5) which lie at the sides of the ejector pin 38, and whichfingers may reach through the hole 39 of the insulating disk .15. Thereis a boss 42 on the inner face of the contact carrier` 19V and inposition. to be engaged by the inner ends of the fingers 40- and 41 whenthe lock barrel 28 is pushed back into the locked osition of Fig. -1.This backward pushing 50 1s su'licient tocarry the contact carrier 19back to a point where the collar 20 disen- .gages from the contact 26and where the finger 24 rides onto the grounding metal of the housing orbracket. The result is that the movement or forcing of the lock barrelthe barrel without accomplishing Ithese results.y f

In the normall operation of this device, it will be understood thatythev switch is unlocked by the use of the key, which key is naturallyejected from the lock by the push i pin; and the device is afterwardslocked and thrown out of service by simply Apushing the barrel back inthe flush position of F ig. 1.

to retain the key in the lock except byI actually holding it thereagainst the ejecting force of the ejector pin. The result is that it isimpossible to unintentionally leave the key in the lock; and,furthermore, the ejection of the key from the lock naturally takes placeat lthe time the operator is locking the switch, which is the time whenhis hand is ready in position to receive thekey as it is ejected fromthe lock.`

It will'also be understood that the ejectorA feature herein disclosedmay be used to advantage in connection with locks intended for manyother purposes besides the locking "It will also be understood that itis impossible of. ignition circuits of automobiles, etc.

Therefore, while T have herein shown and described only a singleembodiment of the features of my present invention, still Ido not intendto limit myself thereto except as T may do soin the claims.

I claim :v

1. In a device of the cl'ass described, the combination with a lockhaving a longitudinally movable lock cylinder 'and tumblers normallylocking saidcylinder against such movement, together with a key forinsertion into the 4lock cylinder to line up the tumblers and unlock thecylinder, of a contact carrier movable towards and from the lockcylinder, an ejector pinconnected to said contact carrier and having itsforward end working into the key opening of the lock cylinder, springmeans tending to move the contact carrier and ejector pin forwardly tocarry the pin into l the key opening for the purpose of expelling `thekey therefrom, a ground contact carried by the -contact carrier andestablishing la ground connection except when the contact carrier ismoved to its forward position adjacent to the lock cylinder, and acurrent supply connection adjacent to said forward position to makecontact with the contact carrier when the same is moved fully forward,substantially as described.

`2. In a device of the class described,fthe

combination with a lock cylinder which is -movable longitudinallybetween locked and unlocked positions, tumblers for vlocking thecylinder in the locked position, sprlng means tending to move thecylinder forwardl to the unlocked position, and a key for insertion intosaid cylinder to lin'e up said tumblers and permit the cylinder to moveforwardly into the unlocked position, of a conl; tact carrier movabletowards and from the lock cylinder, an ejector pin connected to theContact carrier and having its forward end Working into the key openingof the lock cylinder, spring means tending to move the A contact carrierand ejector pin forwardly to carry the ejector pin into the key openingand expel the key therefrom and also to move the contact carrier to theextreme forward position, a current supply contact adj ar cent to theextreme forward position of the contact carrier, and means inconjunction with the lock cylinder and contact carrier for preventingmovement of the contact carrier to the extreme forward position when fthe lock cylinder stands at its inserted or locked posit-ion,substantially as described.

, 3. In a` device of the class described, the combination with alongitudinally movable lock cylinder, together with tumblers fornormally locking the same at its inner or locked position, and springmeans tending to move the lock cylinder forwardly to the unlockedposition, together with a key for insertion into the lock cylinder toline up the tumblers and unlock the cylinder, of a movable contactcarrier adjacent to the lock cylinder, means in conjunction with thelock cylinder and Contact carrier for retaining the contact carrier inone longitudinal' position when the cylinder is locked and allowing thecarrier to move to another longitudinal position when the cylinder. isunlocked, an ejector pin connected to the contact carrier and having itsforward end working into the key opening of the lock cylinder, andspring means tending to move the .contact carrier and ejector pinforwardly to carry the ejector pin into the lock cylinder and expel thekey therefrom, substantially as described.

IRA DfPERRY.

